Need advice on Pentax 6X7.

[f/16]

I told you the 165mm LS was a different beast! You can use MLU in the non-LS mode. Go to this thread (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thanks for the link. At least MLU can be used without the leaf shutter. LS is something I won't be using much. But 1/500 should be fast enough to not be affected by mirror slap??

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

So the 165 LS can't be used with MLU? Do you mean when leaf shutter is used or at all? I mean can it be used with MLU when you're using only the camera's shutter?

The design of the 165LS is quite different (complex) to its shorter 90mm brother. The leaf shutter is useable in the circumstances for which it was designed (flash sync at all speeds), perfectly so, just not with MLU, with leaf shutter mode engaged. With leaf shutter mode disengaged, the 165LS acts like a big, fat, round telephoto (and a bloody good one at that). Engage leaf shutter mode, connect a flash circuit and presto! You have bragging rights. Big time.

You cannot use the leaf shutter only/independently of the 67 shutter.

Be aware that with either LS lens, and leaf shutter mode engaged, there will be no viewfinder image: the mirror is not up, but the leaf shutter is cocked. Camera shutter fires first, then LS.

 

[John Wiegerink]

The design of the 165LS is quite different (complex) to its shorter 90mm brother. The leaf shutter is useable in the circumstances for which it was designed (flash sync at all speeds), perfectly so, just not with MLU, with leaf shutter mode engaged. With leaf shutter mode disengaged, the 165LS acts like a big, fat, round telephoto (and a bloody good one at that). Engage leaf shutter mode, connect a flash circuit and presto! You have bragging rights. Big time.

You cannot use the leaf shutter only/independently of the 67 shutter.

Be aware that with either LS lens, and leaf shutter mode engaged, there will be no viewfinder image: the mirror is not up, but the leaf shutter is cocked. Camera shutter fires first, then LS.

Yes, I agree that it is a fine lens and I again want to thank you for tutoring me on how to use it correctly. It was a bit of a letdown when I found I couldn't use it with MLU, but I get by fine. It still would have been nice if Pentax would have followed through with the same mechanical design as my 90mm f2.8LS. That separate cable release socket on the 90MM LS makes for almost no vibration at all and the 165mm LS needs that more than the shorter 90mm LS. Oh well, can't have everything I guess. I'll at least settle for great optics and flash sync to boot. JohnW

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Yes, I agree that it is a fine lens and I again want to thank you for tutoring me on how to use it correctly. It was a bit of a letdown when I found I couldn't use it with MLU, but I get by fine. It still would have been nice if Pentax would have followed through with the same mechanical design as my 90mm f2.8LS. That separate cable release socket on the 90MM LS makes for almost no vibration at all and the 165mm LS needs that more than the shorter 90mm LS. Oh well, can't have everything I guess. I'll at least settle for great optics and flash sync to boot. JohnW

BTW (and I suspect you know this) both 90mm LS and 165mm LS must have 1/8 sec shutter speed set on the camera with leaf shutter mode engaged, and any speed marked on the LS lens can be used with LS engaged — that's the fun part. The 1/8 sec shutter syn is a quaint reminder of the old origins of the 6x7/67 workhorses, but it does the job!

Store the lens (not mounted on camera) with the leaf shutter closed as this releases tension on the tiny internal springs and pawls.

AND, no, you can't have everything. Where would you put it all??

____________________________________________________________________________________

• Lower Rollasons Falls,
Mount Buffalo, Victoria, Australia January 2013
SMC Pentax 165mm LS (non-LS mode); MLU.

 

[Hatchetman]

I stumbled across some samples of the 67 handheld and drum scanned. Look at this flickr photo and surrounding ones. He has cropped examples which are pretty amazing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsiklonaut/9214794260/

 

[John Wiegerink]

I stumbled across some samples of the 67 handheld and drum scanned. Look at this flickr photo and surrounding ones. He has cropped examples which are pretty amazing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsiklonaut/9214794260/

Some people can shoot a rifle and hit the bulls-eye every time, others maybe once in a while and some not at all. It takes a steady hand, proper technique, good rifle and the proper ammunition. When you have all of those your odds are very good. When you're missing one thing in the above equation your odds start dropping rather fast. If you're missing more then you certainly shouldn't go hunting for dangerous game or to be merciful, hunt no game at all.
I don't have much of a problem with my 45mm and shoot it often hand-held. It seems that one is always looking for just that right angle to shoot from with a wide and hand-held is easier. The 55mm, 75mm, 90mm are OK hand-held also, but when I get to 105mm's and above I'm in trouble. It's mainly a physical condition with me that limits things and I'm sure that before I developed this condition I would have had little problem with the longer guns. I used to be able to hit the bulls-eye every time, but not anymore. Now I look for something to rest my gun or camera against to take a shot, if I can find it JohnW

 

[f/16]

Thanks for all the help. Today I found a Duracell PX28L battery at Batteries Plus. I have some 67mm filters for the 135 macro. But I just got the 80-160 lens for the 645, and the 165 LS. Both need 77mm. Found a used 77mm 81B on Ebay. Next I'll get Moose's warm polarizer in that size. And I have a 77mm yellow I got a long time ago. And I found a metal 77mm hood on Ebay. I have several rolls of 120 film color and B&W. Looking forward to some MF shooting in the near future!.....And the strap lugs on the 6X7-are they the same as the 645? I plan on shooting with a tripod always. But twice in the past I've dropped cameras that didn't have straps on them. So my policy is don't ever handle a camera without a strap when I'm out shooting.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Thanks for all the help. Today I found a Duracell PX28L battery at Batteries Plus. I have some 67mm filters for the 135 macro. But I just got the 80-160 lens for the 645, and the 165 LS. Both need 77mm. Found a used 77mm 81B on Ebay. Next I'll get Moose's warm polarizer in that size. And I have a 77mm yellow I got a long time ago. And I found a metal 77mm hood on Ebay. I have several rolls of 120 film color and B&W. Looking forward to some MF shooting in the near future!.....And the strap lugs on the 6X7-are they the same as the 645? I plan on shooting with a tripod always. But twice in the past I've dropped cameras that didn't have straps on them. So my policy is don't ever handle a camera without a strap when I'm out shooting.

You're sorted there. And it's a darned good and sensible policy regarding straps! OpTech USA makes a nifty strap with an oversized neoprene round-the-neck piece and detachable "handle" set that fits the lugs on the 6x7 / 67. The neckstrap section can be stored away leaving you with a very handy 'haul-up' strap when docking to the tripod — just be careful not to press the quick release toggles when picking up! Visit their website to get the correct model (there are two: one for Hasselblad lugs, another for Pentax 6x7/67 lugs); incorrectly fitting or poor quality third-party straps can come away from the lugs. Pentax makes it's own strap of course, but costing almost $60 or more new I doubt it's worth it save for vanity.

 

[Alan Gales]

I'll second the recommendation on the OpTech straps. I use one with my Hasselblad and it is very comfortable.

 

[brucemuir]

I'll second the recommendation on the OpTech straps. I use one with my Hasselblad and it is very comfortable.

I'll 3rd it. I love em and have most of my different systems outfitted with them.

 

[f/16]

Is this the OP Tech strap you guys are talking about? That's the one i have for the 645.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/39640-REG/OP_TECH_USA_5401012_Super_Pro_Strap_Black.html

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Is this the OP Tech strap you guys are talking about? That's the one i have for the 645.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/39640-REG/OP_TECH_USA_5401012_Super_Pro_Strap_Black.html

Yes. I went for the red model — made for extroverts!

 

[brucemuir]

Is this the OP Tech strap you guys are talking about? That's the one i have for the 645.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/39640-REG/OP_TECH_USA_5401012_Super_Pro_Strap_Black.html

Yessir.
You can also buy the lower camera specific connector ends separate and just share the strap part across platforms if you have a few different systems.

 

[John Wiegerink]

f16, you sound as excited as the rooster in a yard full of hens. He was so excited he didn't know which way to turn his pecker! Pecker meaning beak of course.
Yup, OP Tech! I have a blue one on one body and a black one on the other. Very nice strap with just enough support yet a slight spring to it. Enjoy your new toy!

 

[Alan Gales]

Yes. I went for the red model — made for extroverts!

Red's cool I went with the black to match my all black Blad.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Red's cool I went with the black to match my all black Blad.

I have a red one on my Hasselblad SWC and love it on that camera, but if I did it again I'd go black. Not to match the skin of the camera, but to be a little less "stand-outish". I like to be as unnoticeable as possible.

 

[Alan Gales]

I have a red one on my Hasselblad SWC and love it on that camera, but if I did it again I'd go black. Not to match the skin of the camera, but to be a little less "stand-outish". I like to be as unnoticeable as possible.

Yeah, the all black Hasselblad with the all black strap is pretty stealthy. I mostly shoot it handheld but when I need a tripod I have a black Leitz Tiltall.

I also drive a black Jeep Wrangler. I guess I could dress like Johnny Cash and everything would be perfect.

 

[f/16]

f16, you sound as excited as the rooster in a yard full of hens. He was so excited he didn't know which way to turn his pecker! Pecker meaning beak of course.
Yup, OP Tech! I have a blue one on one body and a black one on the other. Very nice strap with just enough support yet a slight spring to it. Enjoy your new toy!

It's not that I'm that excited-just trying to get everything in order so when the camera arrives I can start using it.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Sunny f16, you have GAS ... big time!
Cobbling away bits and pieces... I did the same, and was hopping about like a deranged 'roo for a month after until I got another bout of GAS and needed more, and more...and more.

 

[Hatchetman]

You found a copy of the manual, right? I highly recommend that.

 

[f/16]

Sunny f16, you have GAS ... big time!
Cobbling away bits and pieces... I did the same, and was hopping about like a deranged 'roo for a month after until I got another bout of GAS and needed more, and more...and more.

Yes I have GAS often, but it's not that bad right now. Trying to keep costs down lol. At least I was able to pay for most of the 6x7 stuff with the sale of 2 lenses. I got as much stuff as I could in bargain condition from KEH. The body, prism, and 135 macro are bargain. But they only had the 165 LS in excellent. And bargain will probably be better because I won't be afraid to use the gear-it's already been scratched and well used I just spent about 500usd sending my chrome F2AS to Sover Wong in the UK for a complete overhaul. And sorta afraid to use it 'cause it looks so good Someone mentioned getting a manual. I downloaded one from the Buktus site, but I think it's the non MLU version. Does anyone know where I can download a manual? That will get me by until I can find a "real" one. I like having the paper manual because I can take it with me on location. Can't do that with a download.

By the way, if I like the 6x7, I have big plans for it-75 shift, 105 2.4, 55 wide angle, 2X TC, camera bag that fits it properly....Was going to sell another lens to get a used 85 1.8D for my Nikons. But 35mm stuff may be put on hold.

 

[John Wiegerink]

f/16, I still wish I would have kept my F2AS. It was the best 35mm I have ever owned. I've had Canon, Alpa, Leica, Zeiss and most everything in between, but the F2AS was the best. Like you, all my 35mm stuff is on hold and I'm deciding just now what to get rid of in 35mm. I'll be thinning out my medium format stuff too and plan on only keeping what I really use. I'm getting to the age where having to much "stuff" might just be a burden to my wife and family in the hopefully not to near a future, but one never knows. A wise old man of 90 something years told me something once years ago that I've never forgot. He was selling a moderate gun collection with some fine guns he had picked up throughout his life and some were older than he was. Very nice and very collectable! I ask him why he was selling them all, because I knew he had family to pass them down too and he certainly didn't need the money. He told me it was better he sell them now then to have his family sell them after he was gone. Nobody in his family liked guns and they would have no idea what to ask and probably almost give them away. So, he said he'd sell them now and then they could just have the money when he passed as they were only interested in money anyway. Easier on them he said. That made sense to me and my wife would probably just call Goodwill to come and get all my, what she calls, junk.
If it ain't broke don't fix it and if you don't use it get rid of it! I'm going to try to follow both of those sayings from now on.
Let me know how you like Moose's warming pola-filter?

 

[f/16]

I have the Moose polarizer in 67mm size. I like it. The warming effect is weak-I think it's an 81a. Sometimes it's not quite strong enough. However, it's better than stacking 2 filters. But the good news is it's not so strong that you need a regular polarizer to go along with it. I've never felt that an image was too warm and wished I'd have used a non warm one.

 

[wy2l]

Does a Pentax 67 need a tripod? Depends on what you want...

I made some great shots without a tripod, but when I examined them with a loupe I was extremely disappointed. I now use a tripod. All the time.

This question has been covered in an excellent book by Barry Thornton titled "Edge of Darkness: The Art, Craft and Power of the High Definition Monochrome Photograph". A great read, and a bargain at any price.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Does a Pentax 67 need a tripod? Depends on what you want...

I made some great shots without a tripod, but when I examined them with a loupe I was extremely disappointed. I now use a tripod. All the time.

This question has been covered in an excellent book by Barry Thornton titled "Edge of Darkness: The Art, Craft and Power of the High Definition Monochrome Photograph". A great read, and a bargain at any price.

That's an excellent point. The problem is that people say "I use the 67 handheld and never need a tripod!". But put a 8x to 10x loupè over the neg/transparency and you can see exactly the same blur effect you would get with any camera that moves ever so very slightly on pressing the shutter — remembering always that the 67 has a quite large (albeit well-dampened) mirror and shutter. Handheld is fine if you are never going to get A0-sized prints done. It doesn't have to be used with a tripod (especially street), but the very, very best results (e.g. landscape) will be obtained by taking care of the enormous threat of vibration-induced blur. A semi-permanently docked camera on a tripod is far, far less of a burden to live with than a beautiful shot ruined by vibration blur.